H-IIA 202 Launch Vehicle

H-IIA is a Japanese Launch Vehicle. It is a two-stage rocket operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and MHI. H-IIA is built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Vehicle is capable of flying satellite missions as well as releasing spacecraft into planetary trajectories Based on its capabilities, H-IIA is a medium-lift launcher which can place payloads in a variety of Orbits including Low Earth orbit and Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The H-IIA Rocket is being launched from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Current Launches are operated by MHI only as JAXA handed the Launch System over in 2007.To date, H-IIA has completed 19 successful missions demonstrating its capabilities and delivering payloads to space. One mission was catalogued as a failure. H-IIA has a success rate of 95%. The Launcher made its maiden voyage on August 29, 2001. Two test flights were completed before regular missions of the H-IIA were introduced. Since then, the vehicle has delivered a variety of payloads into different Earth Orbits including Geostationary Transfer Orbit, also, the launcher has sent spacecraft on Planetary Trajectories. H-IIA is derived from the original H-II that underwent extensive modifications to reduce costs and increase reliability. The Launcher can fly in different versions with different numbers Solid and Liquid Fueled Strap-On Boosters. In the 202 Configuration, the Launcher features two Stages (first digit), no Liquid Rocket Boosters (second digit) and two Solid Rocket Boosters (third digit).Flight proven components of the H-IIA series are also being used on the H-IIB Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle that is being used for International Space Station Resupply Mission using the H-II Transfer Vehicle.

Photo: JAXA

H-IIA Specifications

Type

H-IIA 202

Manufacturer

Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries

Height

53m

Diameter

4m

Launch
Mass

285,000kg

Stages

2

Boosters

2

Mass to
LEO

11,000kg

Mass to
SSO

3,600-4,400kg

Mass to
GTO

4,100kg

First Stage

Diameter

4m

Length

37.2m

Propellant

Liquid Hydrogen

Oxidizer

Liquid Oxygen

Launch
Mass

114,000kg

Propellant
Mass

100,000kg

Propellant
Tank

Aluminum,
isogrid

Oxidizer
Tank

Aluminum,
isogrid

Guidance

From 2nd Stage

Propulsion

1 LE-7A Engine

Engine
Type

Staged
Combustion

Propellant
Feed

Turbopump

Total
Thrust

1,078kN

Engine
Length

3.4m

Engine
Dry Weight

1,714kg

Burn
Time

390sec

Specific
Impulse

349s (SL) 446s
(Vac)

Chamber
Pressure

1,840psi
(12.7MPa)

Nozzle
Ratio

52:1

Restart
Capability

No

Avionics

Guidance Control
Computer

Flight
Termination

Rate Gyro
Package

Lateral
Acceleration Unit

VHF Telemetry

Solid Rocket Boosters

Type

SRB-A

Diameter

2.5m

Length

15.1m

Mass

76,400kg

Propellant

Solid

Propellant Mass

65,040kg

Motor Case

Monolithic Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced

Polymer

Thrust

2,260kN

Burn Time

100sec

Chamber Pressure

11.8MPa

Specific Impulse

280s

Type

SRB-A3

Diameter

2.5m

Length

15.1m

Mass

76,600kg

Propellant

Solid

Propellant Mass

66,000kg

Motor Case

Monolithic Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced

Polymer

Thrust

2,305kN

Burn Time

115sec

Chamber Pressure

11.1MPa

Specific Impulse

284s

Second Stage

Diameter

4m

Length

9.2m

Propellant

Liquid Hydrogen

Oxidizer

Liquid Oxygen

Propellant
Tank

Aluminum isogrid

Oxidizer
Tank

Aluminum isogrid

Propellant
Mass

16,600kg

Propulsion

1 LE-5B

Engine
Type

Expander Bleed
(Chamber)

Total
Thrust

137kN

Engine
Diameter

2.49m

Engine
Length

2.79m

Engine
Dry Weight

269kg

Burn
Time

530sec

Specific
Impulse

447s

Chamber
Pressure

519psi (3.58MPa)

Restart
Capability

Up to 16 Starts

Ignition
System

Spark Ignition

Avionics

Guidance Control
Computer

Inertial
Measurement Unit

Flight
Termination

UHF Telemetry,
C-Band Tracking

Vehicle Description

The 202 Version of the H-IIA Launcher has a liftoff mass of 285,000 Kilograms and is 53 Meters in length. It has a diameter of 4 meters and features two Solid Rocket Boosters. It first and second stage use liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen as propellants. The Launcher can lift payloads of up to 11,000 kilograms to Low Earth Orbit. Sun Synchronous orbit and GTO Capabilities are about 4,000 Kilograms.

Core Stage

The first stage tank walls and domes are made from aluminum alloy and utilize reliable welding techniques to provide maximum strength. One LE-7A Engine powers the first stage with a total thrust of 1,078 Kilonewtons. After engine ignition, the main engine is monitored for several seconds and good performance is verified before the vehicle is released and lifts off. An autonomous shutdown is conducted in case of off-nominal engine performance. The LE-7A has dry mass of 1,714 Kilograms and a length of 3.4 meters. It has a nozzle ration of 1:52. First Stage Burn time is 390 seconds after which the stage separation mechanism is used to jettison the first stage. Thrust Vector Control is provided by gimbaling the engine. The first stage has its own VHF communication system to send telemetry. Navigational Data is acquired with a Rate Gyro Package and a Lateral Acceleration Unit. The Rocket has a Flight Termination System consisting of two strings of transmitters, receivers and safe and arm devices. The FTS works with C-Band Communications and can be used to terminate the flight in case of any anomalies. The first stage has a Guidance Control Computer that is used to issue commands during the ascent phaseThe interstage adapter between the two stages is a carbon fiber aluminum core composite structure.

Solid Rocket Boosters

The 202 Version of the H-IIA Launcher features two Solid Rocket Boosters that are ignited on the Ground and provide an additional amount of thrust for the first portion of the ascent. H-IIA can use the standard SRB-A boosters or the more powerful SRB-A3 depending on mission requirements.

Weighing 77,000 Kilograms, each SRB-A is 2.5 Meters in Diameter and 15.1 Meters long. The Boosters burn for the first 100 seconds of the flight and are jettisoned 10 seconds after burnout.

SRB A3 weighs 76,600 Kilograms, each SRB is
2.5 Meters in Diameter and 15.1 Meters long. The Boosters burn for the
first 114 seconds of the flight and are jettisoned nine seconds after
burnout. The Booster Motor Case consists of Monolithic Carbon Fiber
Polymer. Each of the Boosters provides 2,305 Kilonewtons of thrust.

Upper Stage

In essence, the tank assembly of the second stage of the H-IIA is simply a smaller version of the first stage's design. One LE-5B engine powers the vehicle during second stage flight. The Engine is 2.79 meters in Diameter and has a nozzle diameter of 2.49 meters. LE-5B provides 137 Kilonewtons of thrust. It has a nominal burn time of 530 seconds, but is certified to burn for up to 40 minutes. The engine can support up to 16 re-starts. During a nominal mission, the first burn of the second stage occurs after stage separations to place the vehicle in its preliminary Low Earth Orbit and a second burn later in the mission to increase the stack's orbital altitude. After spacecraft separation, the second stage is able to make a Collision Avoidance Maneuver. The second stage accommodates most of the the avionics of the Launcher. Flight computers and navigation system are redundant systems as part of a single-fault tolerant architecture. The Upper Stage is outfitted with a Reaction Control System. This system is used to control the vehicle's attitude during coast phases. The Upper Stage is also equipped with a Flight Termination System.

Payload Fairing

The Payload Fairing is positioned on top of the stacked vehicle and its integrated spacecraft. It protects the vehicle against aerodynamic, thermal and acoustic environments that the launcher experiences during atmospheric flight. When the launcher has left the atmosphere, the fairing is jettisoned. The fairing then falls back to Earth. Separating the fairing as early as possible increases ascent performance. H-IIAs standard Fairing is 12 Meters long and 4.07 Meters in diameter. It weighs about 1,400 Kilograms. Custom fairing designs are available to accommodate a variety of payloads and customers.

Payload Adapter

Payload Adapters interface with the vehicle and the payload and are the only attachment point of the payload on the Launcher. They house equipment that is needed for Spacecraft Separation and ensure that the payload is secured during powered flight. Electrical and Communication connections are also part of the Adapter and route spacecraft Telemetry to the Flight Computers for downlink. 11 different off-the-shelf adapters is available to suite different spacecraft needs and requirements. Individual Adapter designs are also available to accommodate a variety of spacecraft. H-IIA is capable of dual-payload missions for which a special adapter is used to launch the payloads in a stacked configuration.

Data Source: JAXA/MHI

Photo: JAXA

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